AHSAA News

AHSAA News

Monroe County outscored Madison Academy 16-7 in the second overtime Tuesday night and captured a 75-66 win to advance to the 2017 AHSAA Class 4A state boys’ basketball finals.
Coach Anthony Hayes’ Tigers (23-4) will meet Hale County (27-4) in the 4A championship game Friday at 5:45 p.m. at the BJCC Legacy Arena. The 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships will feature semifinal games for girls and boys in Class 6A and Class 5A Wednesday and in Class 7A Thursday morning. State finals in Class 1A will be held Thursday afternoon. Championships for boys and girls in Classes 2A, 3A and 4A are scheduled for Friday with Class 5A, 6A and 7A finals set for Saturday’s final day.
Tuesday’s final game of the eight-game slate turned out to be the most exciting as Madison Academy (24-7), the 3A state champ in 2016 playing in Class 4A for the first time, and Monroe County battled toe-to-toe.
The Mustangs of Coach Andy Blackston led after one quarter 14-9, Monroe County led 31-25 at halftime and 47-43 after three quarters. The fourth quarter turned out to be a thriller as Madison Academy’s defense forced several turnovers and the offense whittled away to finally tie the game at 52-52 with 2:35 remaining. The game was deadlocked at 54 all at the end of regulation.
Each team scored five points in the first overtime and was still tied at 59-59.
In the second overtime Tyler Stallworth and Deandre Robinson took over inside for two lay-ups and then sank two free throws each to put Monroe County ahead for good.
Robinson, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. He was 8-of-11 on the night at the foul line. Stallworth added 20 points, eight rebounds, three treys and three assists, and Albert Middleton scored 18 points. His free throws in the final seconds of the second overtime sealed the victory. He sank 10-of-12 free throws for the contest.
Guard Collin Blanchard led his team back in the second half finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists. He was 5-of-6 at the foul line. Calvin Walker added 17 points and Calvin Bacon had 15. Each had three 3-pointers and Walker was also 4-for-4 at the foul line.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live and live-streamed by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Madison Academy (34-1) defeated Booker T. Washington Magnet of Montgomery 68-24 in the second semifinal of the 2017 AHSAA Class 4A State Basketball Championships Tuesday to set up a 4 p.m. Friday date with defending state champion Deshler (34-0) at the BJCC Legacy Arena.
The Mustangs of Coach Brian Privett led 20-9 after one quarter and 40-13 at halftime in notching their 34th win of the season. Freshman 6-foot-2 center Destinee McGhee dominated inside with 18 points and 15 rebounds. She was 8-of-10 from the field. Another freshman, point guard Jaden Langford added 12 points and six assists, and sophomore Damayia Calvert added 11 points for Madison Academy. Makiyah Parker also had 11 rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets (15-8) of Coach Teklia Roberson got 10 points from senior point guard Jada Davison. She was 5-of-5 at the foul line and BTW finished perfect on its seven free throws for the game. Paige Towns added eight points and seven rebounds, and K.T. Blanding had eight boards and four steals.
Play continues Wednesday with Classes 6A and 5A playing girls’ and boys’ semifinal games beginning at 9 a.m. Class 7A will play Thursday’s morning session with the Class 1A girls’ and boys’ championship games following at 4 and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Friday’s finals will include Class 2A, 3A and 4A boys and girls. The 2017 state tourney will conclude Saturday with Class 5A, 6A and 7A girls’ and boys’ championship games.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live and live-streamed by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Hale County downed Cordova 79-60 in the Class 4A boys’ semifinals Tuesday at the BJCC Legacy Arena and notched a berth in the 2017 AHSAA State Basketball Tournament championship game. The Wildcats (27-4) will play the winner of the Monroe County vs. Madison Academy game in the finals Friday night at 5:45 p.m.
Coach Antwan Butler’s team used balanced scoring to take a 58-41 lead into the fourth quarter. Excellent free-throw shooting in the final period helped fend off the Blue Devils’ comeback effort.
Cordova (23-9), coached by Heath Burns, turned up the defensive pressure in the final quarter and cut the Wildcats’ lead to seven with a quick 9-2 run in the first two minutes. Senior Herb Jones sank six straight free throws in the final 1:48 to seal the win. Jones was 8-of-9 from the foul line for the game and finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, four blocked shots, three steals and two assists. Teammates Kaddell Perry and Jakorrian Edwards also scored 19 points each for Hale County, and Chris Rollins had 12. Perry was 3-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Kolbi Fuqua had a game-high 20 points for the Blue Devils. Isaac Chatman added 17 and Jayce Willingham had 11. Demetrius Kirk also had four points and six assists.
Play continues Wednesday with Classes 6A and 5A playing girls’ and boys’ semifinal games beginning at 9 a.m. Class 7A will play Thursday’s morning session with the Class 1A girls’ and boys’ championship games following at 4 and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Friday’s finals will include Class 2A, 3A and 4A boys and girls. The 2017 state tourney will conclude Saturday with Class 5A, 6A and 7A girls’ and boys’ championship games.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live and live-streamed by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Defending Class 4A girls’ state basketball champion Deshler jumped out to a 56-21 lead by halftime en route to an 86-60 win over Greensboro Wednesday in the Class 4A semifinals of the 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships played at the BJCC Legacy Arena. The victory was the 68th in a row for Coach Jana Killen’s Tigers (34-0).
Deshler advanced to Friday’s Class 4A state championship game at 4 p.m.
Junior Taylor Aikerson scored 29 points in the win. She was 13-of-19 from the field with three 3-point goals. Senior Nicole Shirley added five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points. Shirley also had nine steals and seven assists. Karleigh Sledge chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.
Greensboro (22-5), coached by Frances Dunn, outscored Deshler 39-29 in the second half with senior center Elexis Evans totaling 27 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Nine of the boards came on offense. Trinity Hambright and Moesha Chandler added eight points each.
Classes 6A and 5A will play semifinal games for girls and boys Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m. Class 7A will play Thursday’s morning session with the Class 1A girls’ and boys’ championship games following at 4 and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Friday’s finals will include Class 2A, 3A and 4A boys and girls. The 2017 state tourney will conclude Saturday with Class 5A, 6A and 7A girls’ and boys’ championship games.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live and live-streamed by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Plainview guard Jeffery Armstrong’s 3-point goal right before the second quarter ended cut a Hillcrest-Evergreen 11-point lead to eight – and more importantly changed the game’s momentum as the Bears roared from behind to beat the Jaguars 68-52 Tuesday.
The Class 3A semifinal win in the 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships played at the BJCC Legacy Arena propelled Plainview into the Class 3A state finals. Coach Robi Coker’s Bears will face Midfield (26-6) in the championship game Friday at 2:15 p.m.
Hillcrest (22-6), coached by Chenson Griffin, was red-hot in the first half nailing 7-of-9 3-point goals to build a 35-27 lead by halftime. Plainview was also hot, nailing 7-of-13 treys. The second half, however, was a different story. The Jags were just 2-of-13 and the Bears were 5-of-11 to finish 12-of-24 for the game. The Bears also were 12-of-18 at the foul line with all free throw attempts but one coming in the final half as Plainview outscored Hillcrest 41-17.
Armstrong finished with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and also had six rebounds and six assists. Caden Millican had a game-high 20 points and was a perfect 5-of-5 on 3-point attempts. Koby Tinker added 13 points and Luke Graham had nine.
Kobe Bradley paced Hillcrest with 18 points and seven rebounds. Ray Nettles and Christopher Lett contributed nine points each.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Pisgah (27-7) beat Hillcrest-Evergreen 55-44 in the semifinals Tuesday to earn a berth in the Class 3A girls’ state championship game versus Locust Fork (34-1) Friday.
Classes 3A and 4A are in action Tuesday at the 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships are underway this week being held at the BJCC Legacy Arena. Classes 6A and 5A play Wednesday and Class 7A semifinals for boys and girls are set for Thursday morning. Championships get underway with Class 1A girls and boys Thursday at 4 and 5:45 p.m., respectively. Finals for Classes 2A, 3A and 4A will be Friday, and finals for Classes 5A, 6A and 7A will conclude the tournament Saturday.
Coach Carey Ellison’s Eagles trailed 26-24 at the half but took over the game in the third quarter outscoring Hillcrest 22-7.
Annie Hughes paced Pisgah with 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Shelby Lacy added 14 points and Presley Higdon had 13. Tyesha Rudolph’s 18 points and eight rebounds led Coach Tammie Stallworth-Patrick’s Jaguars. Shanecia Salvatore also had 11 points and four assists. Destiny Simpson added nine rebounds and Tykeria Merrills had eight boards.
The Class 3A girls’ championship game at the BJCC Legacy Arena will be Friday at 12:30 p.m. All semifinals of the 95th annual state tourney are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link and is providing the audio for the NFHS Network.

Midfield clawed past Holly Pond 86-78 Wednesday in the AHSAA’s 95th State Basketball tournament semifinals and moved into Friday’s championship game with the win.
Coach Darrell Barber’s Patriots (26-6) saw two big leads evaporate fast thanks to the red-hot streak shooting of the Broncos (33-2). Coach Mitch Morris’ team closed a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to six in just over two minutes. Midfield regained the momentum and led 77-62 with 3:42 to play, but Holly Pond cut it to 79-72 with 2:09 left. The Patriots, 26-of-37 at the foul line for the game, nailed some clutch free throws in the final two minutes to seal the win.
Kam Woods led Midfield with 26 points. He also had three assists, four steals and was 7-of-9 at the foul line. Shy Cunningham, who canned s trey and a dunk in the final seconds of the third quarter to stretch Midfield’s lead back to 12 at the quarter break, ended up with 16 points. Keenan Isaac added 17 points and Anthony Brown had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Holly Pond was paced by Drew Jones’ 19 points. He had four 3-pointers and seven rebounds. Dawson Foust added 13 points, McKinley Garrett and Matt Cahoon had 12 points each. The Broncos were 11-of-13 from the 3-point arc.
The Class 3A boys’ championship game at the BJCC Legacy Arena will be Friday at 2:15 p.m. All semifinals of the 95th annual state tourney are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link and is providing the audio for the NFHS Network.

Locust Fork High School outscored Montgomery Academy 21-7 in the second quarter to build a 14-point lead by halftime, then was almost perfect at the foul line fourth quarter to fend off the Eagles’ tenacious comeback effort to win 58-48 in the semifinals of the AHSAA Class 3A girls’ state basketball tournament.
Coach Barbara Roy’s Hornets (34-1) advanced to the 2017 AHSAA Class 3A state finals Friday at 12:30 p.m. with the victory. Locust Fork lost by one point in last year’s Class 4A semifinals to Sipsey Valley.
“We looked at that picture of the scoreboard from last year’s game ever since that game,” Roy said, whose team is now in the state finals for the first time in school history.
Locust Fork’s double-digit lead dwindled to seven with 30 seconds remaining but Carlissa Horton and Kimberly Horton each sank two free throws in the final seconds to seal the win. The Hornets finished 13-of-15 at the foul line for the game and 9-of-10 in the fourth period.
Kimberly Horton led Locust Fork with 20 points and six rebounds. She was 5-of-6 at the foul line. Carissa Horton had nine points and four steals. She was perfect on all six free throws she tried. Ashlyn Adkins added 12 points and six rebounds, and Madison Cater had 10 points.
Coach Barry Fencher’s Eagles (28-5) got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Kayla White and 16 points from Jade Brooks. White also had three assists and Brooks sank three 3-point goals. Caroline Kirkham, Montgomery Academy’s usual starting center, came off the bench to start the fourth quarter and quickly put a spark in her team scoring four points. She injured a knee in the regional finals and was not expected to play.
All semifinals of the 95th annual state tourney are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link and is providing the audio for the NFHS Network.

Defending Class 2A state champion Lanett used a strong third period to break open a close game and moved into the AHSAA state championship game for the second year in a row posting a 64-48 win over Barbour County Monday night at the BJCC Legacy Arena.
Lanett (24-7) faces R.C. Hatch (23-2) in the championship game Friday morning at 10:45 a.m. The 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships continue Tuesday with Class 3A and Class 4A girls’ and boys’ semifinals getting beginning at 9 a.m. Classes 5A and 6A play Wednesday and Class 7A semifinals are Thursday.
Monday’s game pitted two Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame Coaches. Lanett Coach Richard Carter (651-220) is being inducted in March as a member of the Class of 2017 and Barbour County coach Raymond White (794-301) was inducted in 2013.
The Panthers (24-7) led 27-25 at the half. Barbour County tied the game early in the third period on Quaimaine Oliver’s dunk. White’s Jaguars took the lead 30-29 at 6:25 of the period on Taurian Scott’s 3-point goal, but things went south for the Jaguars the rest of the quarter as Lanett reeled off the next 16 points to take a 45-30 lead. Barbour County never recovered.
Anquaevious Pollard, a 6-foot-6 junior, had 15 rebounds and 24 points to pace Lanett. Point guard Jalen Madden added 15 points and three steals, Terrion Truitt and Emanuel Littles added 10 points each. Littles also had 11 rebounds.
Markeith Williams led Barbour County with 18 points and six rebounds. He sank 5-of-14 3-point goals and also had three assists. Taurian Scott added 13 points with four 3-pointers. The Jags finished 10-of-28 from the 3-point line.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.

Geneva County outscored Fyffe 6-0 in overtime Monday night to beat the Red Devils 41-35 in the Class 2A girls’ basketball tournament semifinals at the BJCC Legacy Center.
First-year head coach Karie Striplin’s Bulldogs (30-2) advanced with the win to the championship game Friday morning at 9 a.m. to face Tanner (28-2).
Eighth grader Karoline Striplin, daughter of the head coach, scored two put-back buckets in the OT period to give Geneva County a four-point lead with 20 seconds remaining, and TaMyya Hilliard had a steal and lay-up just before the buzzer to close out the extra period scoring. Hilliard’s steal with four seconds left in the fourth quarter turned into a lay-up to tie the game at 35-35 to send the game into overtime.
The battle was close from start to finish with only eight lead changes and five tied scores throughout the contest.
Striplin, who played with four fouls much of the second half, finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds – 10 on the offensive board. Hilliard added 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Bulldogs overcame 22 turnovers forced by Coach Steve King’s swarming Fyffe defense. Point guard Alexa Boutwell added six points, six rebounds, five assists and a game-high eight steals for the pressing Bulldogs defense that also forced 31 Red Devils turnovers.
Libby Whitten led Fyffe (23-8) with 15 points. Brooklyn Dutton added five points and a game-high 18 rebounds. She also blocked five shots and had three steals.
The overtime game was the third in a row for the Red Devils. Both games in the Northeast Regional went an extra period.
The 95th AHSAA State Basketball Championships continues this week with Class 3A and Class 4A girls’ and boys’ semifinals getting underway Tuesday, Classes 5A and 6A Wednesday and Class 7A Thursday. Finals get underway Thursday Finals for 2A, 3A and 4A will be Friday and 5A, 6A and 7A finals close out the 2017 championships Saturday.
All semifinals are being live-streamed by the NFHS Network, and the finals will be televised live by Raycom Sports. The AHSAA Radio Network is also broadcasting all games over its statewide radio network and internet link.
The Class 2A boys’ finals are set to follow the girls’ finals Friday at 10:45 a.m.